Is it viable to write a story taking place in four spatial dimensions?

[SpeedOfLight6]

I want to write a (science fiction?) story that takes place in a universe with significantly different laws of physics than ours, perhaps the most fundamental difference being that there are four spatial dimensions. I'm not talking about the "fourth dimension" being spooky or mysterious in any way, but that everything and everyone naturally exists in four dimensions, just like how we naturally live in three dimensions.
My concern here is that it would be difficult for people to enjoy reading a story when it's impossible to directly visualize what the characters, or any places or objects, could look like. (A direct visualization isn't necessary, but it would be nice.) And with things being so different from our universe, I worry it might be difficult for people to relate to the characters.

 

[Baldanders]

At childhood I read a book about a universe, which dimensions started to narrow, changing physics. In addition, there was a form of life (I think Tartarians, from the word Tartarus), who were not physical, but kinda energetical tornados. One chapter was written from the point of view of a Tartarian. And it all was understandable. The book was something like "Power of Times of Harmony", but I can't find it now. Maybe someone else knows it and will help us.

So, I wouldn't worry overall. However, trying to explain a non-standard universe with standard terms, I think, will be ineffective and too complex. The alternative would be to use associations, like the Tartarians I mentioned - a single word "tornado" explains the thing much better than a complex space and size-oriented description. Thus, I'd propose to start with studying surreal art. The point is in understanding how to create a correct line of images and associations, which will give the reader the correct feeling of what's happening. I'd say some works of Franz Kafka (most of them are very short, you'll deal with them fast), some of H.P. Lovercraft's - he's pretty good with strange creatures and architecture. Pictures of Zdzislaw Beksinski can give a couple of ideas, but I must warn that many of them are disturbing.

Also, I recommend you read the Art Book of the video game Scorn. Not the game itself, as it'll probably be the most disgusting thing you'll ever see in your entire life, however, the art book pretty detailly describes how the artists were developing "the universe of strange forms". Their line of thoughts, by my opinion, can give a couple of tips how to find a way to explain really alien stuff through simple associations.

Thus, not a big problem I guess, but requires a surreal approach. Surrealists are well with telling a story by images and associations, instead of detailed descriptions of space and structure, and I think it's what you need for success.

 

[msstice]

Looking forward to reading it! This is what I always think of for this theme: And He Built a Crooked House - Wikipedia

Stories like Howl's moving castle also come to mind. These are presented from the POV of an ordinary person and involve the world not behaving as you would expect in terms of motion.

 

[THX1138]

Are you using Time as the fourth dimension, or something else?
Sounds fun! Looking forward to it as well.

 

[Danny McG]

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[Danny McG]

but that everything and everyone naturally exists in four dimensions, just like how we naturally live in three dimensions

 

[Biskit]

I think you just need to work out the implications of your four spatial dimensions, and then write your story in simple terms in a four-spatial dimensional universe. The big question is whether you are trying to tell a story showing us three-dimensional minds how this strange universe would work, or are you telling a story that happens to be set in a strange universe with some sort of twist that only occurs because of the different laws of physics.

I don't think the local physics or number of dimensions really affects whether or not the reader can relate to the characters. That is going to depend on what the characters do, and why. If the way the characters behave is dictated by the physics, rather than by virtue of being something other than human, you need to explain that, otherwise you are purely joining the ranks of those who try to write non-human characters, or write human characters with a psychology a few deviations off the mid-line.

Out of curiosity, is the additional spatial dimension stemming from choices in your physics, or is it driving the form of the different physics?

 

[Jo Zebedee]

Have a look at Nicholas binge’s Ascension which does pretty much this

 

[Swank]

Certain subjects don't translate to literature. Despite the popularity of giant robot SF anime, no one writes giant robot original novels. That is primarily because prose isn't particularly good at creating wonder with the scale or imposingness.

My concern is that you can't just tell the reader about the wonder of your world, it has to seem like wonder by conjuring mental images that stick in their minds beyond the page. I don't see how that happens when the human mind can't actually comprehend higher dimensions outside of the math.

On the other hand, if you can design a plot that uses four dimensions as an important pivot, then the shape of the story is the higher dimension that sticks to the reader.

 

[Serendipity]

There have been quite a few stories written about how to exist in four spatial dimensions, starting with E A Abbott's Flatland - the last chapter touches on four spatial dimensions. Rudy Rucker and Ian Stewart as authors come to mind. (I wrote a whole essay on this topic about 12 years ago - and am trying to take things from memory here.)

However, while a lot of what has written makes important points about how four spatial dimensions work etc, they only barely scratch the surface of what can be done. A lot is missing, believe me. My tiny braincell hurts just thinking about the subject. Also what is written about the transition from three spatial dimensions to four spatial dimensions and vice versa leaves a lot to be desired.

In other words, there is a lot of potential in using four spatial dimensions in science fiction in that a lot remains unexplored - but it is worthwhile doing the homework to see what has already been done.

 

[Elckerlyc]

Four spatial dimensions boggles the mind. But looking at the reactions above, I think any hardcore SF-fan will be intrigued and give it a try. I would.
So, in that sense it can be viable. But - and it is a big but - it would highly depend on your writing skills to make that world:
a. somehow imaginable, enough to maintain a sense of wonder
b. intriguing, part of the plot
c. an engaging read.

 

[paranoid marvin]

I would be careful to not spend too much of your story getting across to your readers the concept of an additional dimension.

And of course as the author you have to have a firm grasp of how this dimension works, and ensure it makes sense and is consistent throughout your story.

Good luck, I hope it goes well.

 

[paranoid marvin]

Are you using Time as the fourth dimension, or something else?
Sounds fun! Looking forward to it as well.

This was my first thought as well. As soon as you mentioned 'fourth dimension' I thought of time (before then thinking of The Twilight Zone!).

 

[SpeedOfLight6]

Out of curiosity, is the additional spatial dimension stemming from choices in your physics, or is it driving the form of the different physics?

It kind of stems from the physics. I want a universe where space is locally flat/Euclidean (not approximately, but exactly flat on a local scale), and finite, with no edge.
This could work if you have something like a pacman system; there's a square where when you cross one edge, you end up instantly at the opposite edge. This could be modeled by tessellating two-dimensional space with squares, and you can treat every single square as exactly the same square repeating over and over again.
To maximize symmetry, you could use regular hexagons instead of squares.
Now, a two-dimensional universe would be very hard to live in, with such little space for things to work. So you'd need at least three dimensions, but afaik there are no shapes with better symmetry than the cube that tessellate 3d space. However, in four dimensions, there is a regular solid called a "24-cell" that has lots of symmetry and tessellates space. So space wraps around itself pacman-style with the most amount of symmetry. That's one reason I want things to work in four dimensions.
But of course, being in four spatial dimensions, that will have to drive the physics a lot.

 

[SpeedOfLight6]

Are you using Time as the fourth dimension, or something else?
Sounds fun! Looking forward to it as well.

If you haven't figured it out yet, no, it's a fourth dimension of space (hence the word "spatial" that I used).
It's helpful to think of time as the fourth dimension in relativity since space and time are intermingled, but that's not what I'm referring to.

 

[paranoid marvin]

If you haven't figured it out yet, no, it's a fourth dimension of space (hence the word "spatial" that I used).
It's helpful to think of time as the fourth dimension in relativity since space and time are intermingled, but that's not what I'm referring to.

This may be an issue you encounter. 'Time' is often referred to as the 'fourth dimension'. Substituting it with something else may cause confusion.

And depending on who you listen to, time can be spatial in respect that an object occupies a place at a particular point in time. Something very useful to know if you are a time traveller!

 

[DaCrazyKat29]

This may be an issue you encounter. 'Time' is often referred to as the 'fourth dimension'. Substituting it with something else may cause confusion.

And depending on who you listen to, time can be spatial in respect that an object occupies a place at a particular point in time. Something very useful to know if you are a time traveller!

I can kind of understand this, however maybe to make it clear you could use (I’m sorry I can’t remember the name) that weird gif/video of an indication of 4th spacial dimension cube for something like a picture/cover picture? I’m not that good with physics but I think it sounds great

 

[Swank]

This may be an issue you encounter. 'Time' is often referred to as the 'fourth dimension'. Substituting it with something else may cause confusion.

And depending on who you listen to, time can be spatial in respect that an object occupies a place at a particular point in time. Something very useful to know if you are a time traveller!

If time is understood to be the fourth dimension, is it also understood that our universe is four dimensional?

 

[paranoid marvin]

If time is understood to be the fourth dimension, is it also understood that our universe is four dimensional?

Yes, the 'when' is just as important as the 'where' when it comes to navigation and positioning of moving objects.

 

[Biskit]

But of course, being in four spatial dimensions, that will have to drive the physics a lot.

It will be hugely complex figuring out a sensible physics to go with that. The two things that instantly sprang to mind is that properties of solid materials would be different depending on how atoms pack in four dimensions (and ignoring what the consequences might be for the nature of atoms ), and how will "light" work, or what will replace it? In my head the simplistic "average photon" has a direction of travel, with magnetic and electric field components perpendicular that that direction, and to each other, but in four dimensions what happens? Do "photons" have an extra component in that dimension?